Visit Iguazu Falls Argentina Side – Your Ultimate Guide

Planning A Visit To Iguazu Falls Argentina Side

Visiting Iguazu is a definite bucket list destination for many. When we were planning our cruise around South America, we realized that it would be an easy add-on from Buenos Aires. We spent a lot of time researching the best options for where to stay and what to do in this popular location.

This blog includes what we covered during our three days there and will let you know what you can expect and important things to know when you visit the falls.

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Highlights of Iguazu Falls Argentina Side

What Side Of Iguazu Falls Is Better?

This always seems to be the most common question. From our perspective, we were going all the way there so we decided to visit both sides. This was our personal preference, so we planned in advance to give ourselves enough time to see the falls in both the countries of Argentina and Brazil.

But if you don’t have the luxury of staying for a few days and only have time to visit one side, then in our opinion the Argentine side would be our preference. 

The falls are much larger and the boardwalks allow you to get closer to the falls. And you will still see the Brazil side from this vantage point. It is also the easiest option if flying from within Argentina and does not require any border crossing formalities or visas (an upcoming planned implementation for Brazil).

Is It Better To See Iguazu Falls From Argentina Or Brazil?

The great thing about this area is that it really isn’t an either or situation when it comes to your view of the falls. Since the falls are directly across a valley from each other, you do see both.

If you are touring on the Argentinian side, you will see the falls on that side up close and the Brazilian side of the falls from across the valley. Or do the optimal thing and take a helicopter ride – this will allow you to see the top of the falls on both sides (you will need to cross to the Brazilian side for the take off). We did this in Victoria Falls and it was amazing!

✅ Check out our YouTube video on our trip to Iguazu Falls

Our Experience At The Falls

We hired a guide for both days of touring. This also included transportation making it easy to get to Iguazu Falls and we also wanted to learn about this amazing place we were visiting.

From our hotel, it took about 20 minutes to arrive at the Iguazu Falls Visitor’s Centre at the park entrance.  Julio, our guide, purchased our tickets for the park which included a return trip on the Rainforest Ecological Train, an environmentally friendly train that transports up to 150 passengers per trip from the Visitor’s Centre to the Cataratas (Waterfalls) Station and then Garganta del Diablo (Devil’s Throat) Station.  

The trip to the first station is 7 kilometres through the tropical forest alongside the Iguazu River and takes about 20 minutes. 

As we made our way to the Cataratas Station, Julio gave us some of the highlights of the falls.  

• The source of the falls is the Iguazu River which originates as a small spring in the Serra do Mar coastal mountains near Curitiba, a town about 1200 kilometres to the east in the state of Parana, Brazil. 
• The Iguazu National Park has more than 7000 hectares of protected land
• The depth of the water in the falls ranges between 50 centimetres and 5 meters and flows at 2 million litres per second.  
• 275 separate waterfalls make up the Iguazu Falls and about 80% of those are on the Argentinian side.  
• The name Iguazu means “big water” in the indigenous Tupi language and the name could not be more descriptive.  
• For comparison, Iguazu is 2.7 kilometers wide and Niagara Falls is 1.1 kilometers wide.  Iguazu is also about 30 meters taller than Niagara Falls. 
• It was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1984 (Argentinian side) and 1985 (Brazilian Side).

Upper And Lower Circuits

We disembarked from the train at Cataratas Station which acts as the starting point for the Upper and Lower Circuits that consist of trails with boardwalks and bridges giving access to large expanses of the basin along the edge of the falls. 

We were impressed with the infrastructure that is in place for visitors which allows for getting close to the falls. In our travels, we have visited many waterfalls and haven’t seen such a great network essentially built into the side of the waterfalls.

It really gives you the ability to immerse yourself in this natural wonder and experience the immense power of the falls as the water thunders down in front of you.

Over the next one and a half hours we walked both circuits on this side of the park, getting up close to and having spectacular views from the top of some of the larger falls on the Argentinian side.  There was a perpetual mist in the air as we crisscrossed the trails going from rainforest to water basin and back to rainforest. 

One of the startling observations that we made was the vast number of gigantic spider webs that were strung between overhanging limbs on either side of the trail.  In the middle of each web was a single mammoth spider roughly the size of an adult hand. 

Devil’s Throat

After finishing both circuits, we ended up back at Cataratas Station where we re-boarded the train for the 15-minute ride to the Devil’s Throat Station. 

We left the train and proceeded to the Devil’s Gorge walkway, a bridge approximately 1 kilometre in length that traverses the basin leading up to Devil’s Throat, the largest and most spectacular water curtain of Iguazu Falls.  

We passed across several small islands as we walked along the steel bridge towards Devil’s Throat.  We could hear the increasing roar of the falls as we kept getting closer and closer.  

The bridge ends right at the edge of Devil’s Throat and opens onto a large balcony overhanging the falls. 

The view was outstanding!   What was fascinating to me were the Great Dusky Swifts that were swooping in and out through the thundering curtain of water.  They build their nests along the exposed rocks behind the rushing water. 

We spent about 10 minutes at the Devil’s Throat before heading back along the walkway to the station.  We took the train back to the main Visitor’s Centre where we had a quick lunch and prepared for our afternoon excursion – an open truck ride through the rainforest followed by a jet boat ride in the Devil’s Throat Canyon. 

While we waited for our truck to arrive, we spotted several coati, a raccoon-like mammal that is abundant in this part of the rainforest. 

Jungle Trek

Our rainforest drive was aboard a raised platform on top of a flatbed truck with wooden bench seats and railings along both sides and the back.  It sat roughly 30 people plus the guide who was perched on an elevated seat just behind the cab window.  

We followed a dirt trail that wove 7 kilometres through the dense jungle from the Visitor’s Centre to the edge of Devil’s Throat Canyon where we would be disembarking for the jet boat ride. This area is known for the beautiful flora and fauna including butterflies and a beautiful orchids.

We were on the lookout for the colourful toucans that are quite plentiful in this area and tend to perch on the treetops.  

The heavy overcast skies made it difficult to spot them, although our guide tried to point out one or two which she was able to discern in the distance.  We did see a variety of other birds and many more mammoth spiders which hung across the trail in their delicate webs just above our heads as we passed underneath them. 

Jet Boat Ride

After our trek through the jungle, we arrived at a parking area about 200 metres from the water’s edge where we climbed down from the truck and funneled to a long series of stone and wooden staircases that would take us down to the river.  The descent was slow and gradual.  

Our group emptied onto a large wooden platform where the jetboats darted in and out to load and unload passengers.  We donned life jackets and covered ourselves with plastic ponchos before climbing into the jetboat.  Our shoes, socks, cell phones and other items were placed in waterproof bags and stored under our seats.  

The crew checked to make sure we were all safely seated, and the guide gave us some initial instructions about our boat ride, then we pulled away from the dock to begin our adventure.

We travelled for about 20 minutes (approximately 6 kilometres) along the swiftly moving water, heading towards the falls with the Brazilian border on our left and the Argentinian border on our right.  We passed by several resorts and hotels sitting atop the cliffs.  

The water became noticeably faster and more turbulent as we got closer to the falls, and we could see billowing clouds of mist in the distance.  Finally, we reached the deepest part of the canyon and could make out the falls that we had viewed from above just a few hours before. 

After making a few passes in and out of some smaller rushing rapids we approached the base of a couple of the taller, thundering falls and got close enough to get thoroughly drenched as our boat bounced around in the turbulent waters.   

We paused about a hundred metres from one of the biggest falls in this part of the canyon and our guide advised us to hang on.  The boat then sped directly at the falling curtain of raging water and didn’t stop until we crossed into it. 

That moment was both terrifying and exhilarating.  We felt the full force of Iguazu as it came crashing on top of us.  All of us were screaming with excitement as we emerged back into the stiller waters away from the cliff.  

We continued to explore more of the many cliffs and falls in and around Devil’s Throat before turning around and returning to our embarking point.   The captain was great providing some time for taking photos.

The total time for our boat adventure was 2 hours and it was one of our favourite highlights of the area.  Aside from the sheer exhilaration, it also provided a very different perspective on Iguazu from what we had experienced in the morning when we were walking and viewing the falls from above.

After leaving the boat, we made our way up the stairs to the parking area and re-boarded our truck for the return trip through the rainforest to the Visitor’s Centre. 

Iguazu Falls Argentina Side Things To Do

Visiting the boardwalks and walkways of the falls is the focus while in the National Park. This along with jungle treks and jet boat rides are the main outdoor things to enjoy while in this area.

However, in the town of Puerto Iguazu, you can take in some shopping or enjoy food and drinks at the little restaurants and bars along the main strip.  One of the nights we were there we went to the Argentine Experience and really enjoyed it.

When we arrived we sat down at our table and were soon joined by about 12 other people from different parts of the world.  We are always on the lookout for a place for us to experience local food and culture, and this one was especially unique.  Not only would we be delighting in a five-course meal with wine pairings, this time we would be participating in the food preparation.  

Following introductions from our hosts, we donned the chef’s hats that were provided and toasted each other with sparkling wine.   

We were then shown how to make a local cocktail that we paired with our Patagonian trout tartar appetizer.    

Our next challenge was to prepare a classic empanada that we made for our partner. 

This course was followed by a thick and juicy mouth-watering 200 gram beef fillet cooked to order along with grilled vegetables and a flavourful au jus.  

The final course was a creamy, delicious dulce de leche mousse accompanied with red berries. 

Each course was strategically matched with a superb Argentinean wine.  Wine was free-flowing during the evening and the guests all had a great time!

The Argentine Experience was a great way, not only to enjoy the tastes of this South American country but to do so in a fun, lively and interactive way.

FAQs

How Do I Get To Argentinian Side Iguazu Falls?

The best way to travel from Buenos Aires to Iguazu Falls is by flying. This can be done on a round trip basis with several different airlines flying into this side of the Iguazu Falls.

For us, we wanted to see both sides so we flew first to visit the Argentinian side and then on the following day crossed the border to visit the Brazilian side of Iguazu Falls. From there we flew out of the airport on the Brazilian side to Rio de Janeiro.

How Long Does It Take To See Argentinian Side Of Iguazu Falls

Depending on what you are planning to do will determine how long you will need. For our walk through on all the boardwalks, the jungle trek and the jet boat we needed a full day on the Argentine side of the falls.

✅ If you are very short on time but want to make a day trip to see the Falls, then you can take this private trip that can be booked with our without airfare tickets from Buenos Aires. It is a perfect to option to see and experience this incredible sight with only one day.

Iguazu Falls Argentina Side Tickets

Ticket prices vary based on where you are from. The pricing also changes regularly so it is best to check the official website for current pricing. Tickets for the National Park Entrance should be purchased in advance, online. 

✅ We recommend that you take a guided tour to experience Iguazu Falls and they will buy your ticket for you. This is the tour company that we personally used for our Iguazu Falls Argentina side tour.

Iguazu Falls Argentina Side Weather

The climate in this area varies widely and can help when planning a day trip to Iguazu Falls. Even though you can see the falls all year round, understanding the weather can help when planning to visit the park.

December to February is very hot and humid (sometimes up to 40 degrees) and you will likely encounter rain making the falls very full. But this is also the summer vacation months for the locals so it can be very busy.

From March to August the temperatures are not as high (sometimes down to 10 degrees in the early morning) and the humidity is better. The rain is much less providing clear and sunny days. The Easter holidays are very busy with local visitors. For some, this is the best time to visit.

From September to November the temperatures are mild however the water levels are lower. This allows you to see more of the cliffs behind the waterfalls.

Iguazu Falls Argentina Side Hotels

There are quite a few options for where to stay in Puerto Iguazu. We chose to stay at the Panoramic Grand. We found this property to be in a great location with views of both Brazil and Paraguay. It was an easy walk to the town for restaurants and shops. The rooms were comfortable, the breakfast was good, the staff onsite was friendly and the pool area was a nice spot to enjoy at the end of the day.

If you would like to have views of Iguazu then your best option would be the Gran Melia Iguazu. This property is located in the National Park so travel time to get to the Falls is reduced and you can arrive before the crowds. The hotel has restaurants and bars onsite including a rooftop bar with a great view, a large infinity pool and a spa. 

For a true resort experience, you can enjoy the Iguazu Grand Resort. This property has many amenities including a spa, pool, dinner theatre and casino. After enjoying the Falls you can continue to have a wonderful time at this property. The rooms are large and the staff onsite is attentive.

Final Word…Visit The Iguazu Falls Argentina Side

In our opinion, if you are limited in time, plan to visit the Argentina side of the falls. You will have plenty of opportunities to view the falls on both sides, participate in some exciting activities and enjoy the town of Puerto Iguazu. Exploring the Falls was an incredible experience for us. This is a stunning natural location that should be on everyone’s bucket list.